Hatari are the unofficial winners of Eurovision 2019
Hatari, the anti-capitalist, BDSM, techno, performance art group and Iceland’s entry for Eurovision 2019, caused an uproar in certain quarters when they showed Palestinian banners at the end of their Eurovision 2019 performance. They’d already been warned by the organisers about their earlier statements about the occupation and their intention to use Eurovision to make further criticisms of the Israeli occupation. The organisers attempted to confiscate the banners and said in a statement later they would consider what sanctions to impose on Iceland for this defiance.
“In the live broadcast of the Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final, Hatari, the Icelandic act, briefly displayed small Palestinian banners whilst sat in the Green Room. The Eurovision Song Contest is a non-political event and this directly contradicts the Contest rules. The banners were quickly removed and the consequences of this action will be discussed by the Reference Group—the Contest’s executive board—after the Contest.”
Of course, Madonna’s token flag waving is ignored by the organisers. Are you surprised?
At a press conference in Tel Aviv just prior to the event, vocalist Matthías Haraldsson said, “The occupation has many faces; its uglier one is definitely the one you mentioned in the south now, from Gaza. But you can also see it so obviously in the West Bank and many other places in this country. The political reality is really conflicting and absurd, and the apartheid was so clear in Hebron.”
Prior to the semi-finals they’d challenged Netanyahu to a wrestling match, the statement may be surreal and humorous but it does make a point.
This is an official statement from award winning Icelandic anti-capitalist BDSM techno performers art group Hatari:
We address our statement to Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister of Israel and chairman of the Likud national-liberal movement.
We members of Hatari hereby challenge you to a friendly match of traditional Icelandic trouser grip wrestling, or glíma. The wrestling match is to take place on Magen David Square in Tel Aviv on May 19th at the time of your choosing.
We will use traditional Icelandic trouser grip rules, illegal holds and unsportsmen-like conduct will lead to disqualifications and ensure drengskapur is upheld, a neutral UN sponsored referee will be present.
If the chosen Hatari trouser grip wrestling champion wins this fair match of glíma, members of Hatari reserve the rights to settle within your borders establishing the first ever Hatari sponsored liberal BDSM colony on the Mediterranean coast. If prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu wins the glíma, the Israeli government will be given full political and economic control of South-Icelandic Island municipality Vestmannaeyjar. Members of Hatari will ensure the successful removal of the islands current inhabitants.
We await your swift response at our email address or contact at Icelandicmusicnews.com. Which ever you or your staff prefers.
Outside of the Eurovision organisation, most criticism from the public was against them politicising Eurovision. This is the same argument that was used to keep sporting events going to South Africa during the apartheid era and ultimately fails , as choosing to hold an international event in a country that is an occupying power committing war crimes against the occupied is a political statement in itself. It normalises the grotesque.
After the event, the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) released a statement saying it “overwhelmingly rejects fig-leaf gestures of solidarity from international artists crossing our peaceful picket line”. Now as someone who has never crossed a picket line, I have sympathy for this position, yet if Hatari had withdrawn and another act been substituted, then there would’ve been no televised protest at all – Madonna waving an Israeli and Palestinian flag was more of a veneer of pretend co-existence, which is a far cry from the reality on the ground.
Hatari may have finished 10th in the voting but for showing solidarity, they’re a resounding #1 with anyone who wants an end to the occupation and an independent, free Palestine.
You can have a listen and buy the downloads from Bandcamp:
or listen to them on Spotify they may only get pennies in royalties but it all helps and is an easy way to show solidarity.
